Here to Stay? Identity, Belonging and Citizenship among Settled Central and Eastern European Children and Young People in the Uk, 2016-2018

Sime, Daniela and Tyrrell, Naomi and Moskal, Marta (2021). Here to Stay? Identity, Belonging and Citizenship among Settled Central and Eastern European Children and Young People in the Uk, 2016-2018. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Service. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-854232

This was the first large scale study focussing on children and young people who had migrated to the UK from countries in Central and Eastern Europe after the Eastern enlargement of the European Union in 2004 and 2007. It aimed to document their everyday experiences of living in the UK and their sense of national identity and belonging. Focusing on children and young people aged 12-18 of Central and Eastern European migrants living in the UK, the study provided a unique understanding on migrant young people's long term experiences of settlement, exploring family, peer and community social networks. Another key area of investigation was young people's expressed needs in terms of services they used (e.g. education, health, leisure), issues in access and the extent to which services were meeting their needs. Third, we explored the factors that enable children of Central and Eastern European migrants to adapt to the new social, economic and political context of the regions in which they lived in the UK, as they negotiate new national, cultural and political identities in the context of a changing Europe and Britain exiting the EU. Data was be generated through a survey of 1,120 young people across six urban, semi-urban/rural areas in the UK and focus groups with 108 young people. In depth case studies with 20 families were also be conducted. A young people's advisory group had a central role in the project development and dissemination. The research findings informed public debate, policy makers and service providers on the experiences of Central and Eastern European young migrants settled in Britain. The EU Referendum took place a few months before the start of the fieldwork and became a central aspect of the study, given the uncertainty it created over the status of EU nationals in the context of the Brexit transition. The originality of the project stems from the consideration given to the ways in which Central Eastern European young people living in diverse geographical spaces across the UK were engaged in on-going, dynamic processes of making sense of the world, and their place within it, at local, national and global levels. The study filled a gap in information on newly settled migrant communities. Information on settled migrant young people's social practices, future aspirations, sense of cultural and national identity and belonging provided insights into the extent of European migrant communities' integration in the UK, in the context of various representations of 'nation' that circulated in policy, political and public discourses at a time of intense debate on Britain's place in Europe and EU nationals' rights post-Brexit. The study addressed the relative absence of migrant young people's voices in public debates and provided policy makers and the public with an improved understanding of the lives of children who were originally migrants, but have settled in the UK. While Brexit has made some re-evaluate their plans to remain in Britain long term, and led to an increase in experiences of racism, xenophobia and discrimination for many, young people seemed generally satisfied with their lives in Britain. This information was disseminated widely, to benefit migrant families, service providers, policy makers and the general public. An arts exhibition was also organised.

Data description (abstract)

This was the first large scale study in the UK focussing primarily on the experiences of young people aged 12-18 born in Central and Eastern Europe who had moved to the UK after the enlargement of the European Union in 2004. It looked at issues of identity, citizenship and belonging, as experienced by young people from a Central Eastern European migrant background, also in the context of Britain’s exit from the European Union. The study used a combination of qualitative and quantitative data, to elicit young people’s views. In addition to young people, some key service providers with direct experience of working with migrant groups were also interviewed and in a small sample of case studies, family members of young people also shared their views. The project uncovered and documented the lived realities and experiences of young migrants in the UK, soon after EU Referendum in 2016– something which has been highlighted in policy reports, and by service providers, as a significant gap in existing understandings of young migrants’ settlement in the UK and a barrier to bringing evidence-based improvements in policy and practice. The data was gathered during fieldwork which took place between October 2016 and April 2018. A range of qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis were used to facilitate the study, and a multi-faceted approach to understanding young migrants’ and plans for long-term settlement in the UK were employed. Integral to the design were methods which engaged not just the young people themselves, but also their family members and stakeholders, to draw out lived experiences and practical insight, facilitate dialogue and develop policy and practice responses. These methods included: • A survey completed by young people aged 12-18 who had lived in the UK for at least 3 years, after migrating with their families from countries in Central and Eastern Europe; 1,120 young people took the survey between October 2016 and April 2017 (not all complete responses); • Expert interviews with 24 service providers, such as school managers, representatives of NGOs, employers and other relevant figures; these were completed between January and December 2017; i) Twenty focus groups with 108 young migrants aged 12-18 in Scotland and England, including 50 female and 58 male participants of 10 nationalities (mainly Polish, Romanian, Lithuanian); these took place between June and November 2017 and relied on some participatory activities; ii) Case studies with families, including 20 young people and family members each young person invited to a family interview. These case studies included 13 Polish, 5 Hungarian and 2 Latvian families. The work with families included two family visits, a ‘catch up’ Skype call between visits, young people completing a scrapbook and producing photos and videos on a tablet given to them by the project team. The second visit included a discussion of the scrapbook produced by the young person and a family activity, where family members came together to discuss their experiences of migration, challenges and how these were overcome, issues of identity and belonging, family relationships, plans for future, especially in light of the impact of Brexit on their status and residence rights. The cases were completed between December 2017 and April 2018.

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